Turn the Key to start = Zap, nothing!

[Tbird9140]

A few times now since I got my oil leak stopped,  I have tried to normally  start my truck and got absolutely NOTHING.  Before I turn the key to the start position everything appears normal.  Dash lights, key in ignition bell, etc. all work.  The moment I try to start the truck, ( after checking that the "wait to start icon"  is off) , I hear a "click" and everything turns off - no dash lights, no starter, nothing!   It is like I have no battery installed.  Thinking that my massive oil leak may have caused an electrical connection problem, I cleaned all terminals and reattached all battery and starter cables, and checked battery voltage, and checked fuses.  All seemed in order.  I got back into truck and turned the key to run.  All lights and alarm bells again operated properly.  But again when I turned the key to "start", no starter crank and everything turns off.  No amount of key cycling makes any difference to dash lights or starting.  Sometimes when I go out and bang on battery terminals, wait a minute and get back in truck, I again have  dash lights and alarm bells, but turn the key, and everything again shuts down again.  Being home, and not needing the truck, I walked away in frustration and used one of my other vehicles.  The next morning, I went out to the truck, got in the cab, and turned the key - everything worked and the truck cranked, and started normally.  Moved the truck around the house, ran an errand and returned home.  When I tried to restart the truck, it would not start and I got the exact same symptoms.  Now if I wait some time (i.e. 6 hours) and bang on the battery cables, there is a 50-50 chance it will start.  If it starts and I shut it down immediately, it will usually start again.  But shut it down and wait and hour, and it is likely it won't start.  The banging and such may be coincidental and it only requires time to operate. - I simply don't know.  It has gotten so that if I need the truck, I now keep it running the full time while I am using it -  for fear that it won't start and leave me stranded.  I now never turn off the truck unless I am home and it is parked out of the way.  Any thoughts out there from the gurus in 5.9 24v land?  Love my truck but this is frustrating.

[IBMobile]

I'd check:   

1. power from the left battery to the PDC    
2. in the PDC check fuse #2 (30 amp) and #10 (50 amp)  
3. power in (pink/black and red wires) and out of the ignition switch
4. connector C134 under left side of dash.

 

 

[dripley]

Starter contacts might be worn too. That will mimic what you are seeing also. 

[Mopar1973Man]

I've seen CRACKED fuses do the same thing. The starter solenoid fuse is one of the square fuses. I've seen where you look at them and they look fine. But when you ohm test it the fuses is blown. Don't look blown by any means. I've had a local friend that could try and start the truck and then the fuse would heat up and separate at the crack. Do nothing for 20 to 30 minutes and then later on work just fine like your case. All I needed was a new fuse problem was solved. 

 

Like others said the starter solenoid contacts inside the starter will wear from arcing. Typically you'll hear the solenoid clack and starter doesn't spin. But being your losing all power I would start with the battery cables and then work towards the PDC and start checking the fuses. Use a ohm meter on the square fuses. 

 

Another one I had was a Jeep. The owner would hit the key and ZAP nothing. All the lights go out no dome light nothing. Then hook up jumper cables and nothing changed. Now after doing a feed wire voltage drop test I found the negative cable was rotten in the middle. After hooking my jumper cables between the negative post and the block the Jeep started and ran just fine. Change a negative cable and problem was solved.

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by Mopar1973Man

[Tbird9140]

Thanks for all the suggestions.  I'm not sure however how worn starter contacts would cause everything in the cabin to shut down.  Same with a bad fuse.  Mopar1973Mans suggestion of a possible bad ground cable is the only cause which I understand would shut down everything when I try  to start the truck. .  I will use one of my jumper cables to check this possible problem problem next time the truck doesn't start.  But as the other battery is also grounded to the block, would this ground have to fail at the same time also?  A cracked fuse which could not be identified from visual inspection would likely cause the starter not to function, but would it also turn off all the lights and buzzers in the truck (everything OFF)?  How would worn starter contacts would cause all lights to shut off - i.e. no power anywhere?  I did inspect the fuses and didn't find any obvious problem.  Will ohm test them now.  But again I don't understand how any single bad fuse would cause everything in the truck to shut off when I try to crank the starter. (I have no dash lights, no head lights, no radio, no entry light, no courtesy lights, no key in ignition buzzer, nothing!!!!)

Sorry, but as you can see I am pretty much an electrical dunderhead.

[Dieselfuture]

Sounds like an ignition switch 

Or bad wires under steering column, do you use tilt option much

[Mopar1973Man]

6 hours ago, Tbird9140 said:

Same with a bad fuse. 

Bad fuse can do this..

 

6 hours ago, Tbird9140 said:

But as the other battery is also grounded to the block, would this ground have to fail at the same time also?

Just seen a 1994 Dodge with both ground cables bad and watching the small ground to the fender get hot and smoke.

[Tbird9140]

I can NOT say that that the problem is definitely NOT the ignition switch.  But when I have have the no start/everything off  problem, I have tried cycling the ignition switch several time and gotten no response.  Wait a few hours and it all seems to work again.  No, I almost never use the tilt column as I am the only driver and it was set for me 5 years ago.

[dripley]

Try putting 12v to the starter solenoid and see if it turns over. That would eliminate the starter.

[Great work!]

I fixed a 1st gen last month like that checked starter contacts and they were fine. It would roll start or start with jumper cables ok. Turned out the battery cables were changed out and the wire was copper clad aluminum total junk they were almost corroded in half inside.